Could anyone have interfered with your bags since you packed them?

movieman

Is this thread a wind-up??? The more security at airports the better as far as I am concerned.

But that's the point. These questions do little to help with security, and probably make people _less_ secure because we all get used to saying 'no' to everything.

It's worth noting that whenever US government agents (FAA I think?) have tried to smuggle weapons onto planes in America since 9/11 in order to test the 'security', they've had little trouble doing so. Terrorists wouldn't find it any harder.

iceman_2

movieman wrote:

But that's the point. These questions do little to help with security, and probably make people _less_ secure because we all get used to saying 'no' to everything.

It's worth noting that whenever US government agents (FAA I think?) have tried to smuggle weapons onto planes in America since 9/11 in order to test the 'security', they've had little trouble doing so. Terrorists wouldn't find it any harder.

All bags get fully screened regardless. However, if during the screening process something is found, and you have answered no then it is clearly you who is the terrorist and will be treated as such. If you've answered yes (and if you answer no but the answer could actually be yes) then you should thoroughly check your bag to make sure nothing has been planted.

anewman

MommaCC wrote:

From how I read the op's post, she has no problem with the her son being frisked, but that, as he was a minor, the was no warning or conversation with the parent first.

If this is what the op means, I agree totally. I have no problems with my children being frisked, but would want to know and be present when it happened. It would be the most sensible thing to do from the airport security staff side too - a witness to see exactly where your touching, I would want that protection.

I wonder if, with your son being so tall, they did not realise he was a minor.

His age would be on his passport. Also unless they're grabbing genitals its not like they're doing anything wrong. Why are people so freaked out when it comes to kids being touched? It's no different to an adult being frisked. It's all this politically correct and health and safety nonsense permeating society and becoming socially acceptable. Now school teachers cannot help kids put on sun screen for fear of abuse claims. What's going wrong in the world?!

Also some parents may ask their kids to carry something not permitted on airoplanes. If kids are not checked no doubt soon all the terrorists will be getting their kids to carry things for them, so it's no surprise that they're cautious.

Just remember when your in an airport and you've gone through the security checks etc, you're probably on the safest place on earth.

Quackers

MommaCC wrote:

I wonder if, with your son being so tall, they did not realise he was a minor.

I imagine thats what happened.

My daughter is 15 now and she gets frisked EVERY time she goes through the bleeper thingy. She wears a splint on her leg which sets the beeper off so she has been frisked since a toddler - she walks through and straight to a female security officer now. I think its become an essential part of the holiday :rotfl:

And then they start on my husband. He must just have one of those faces!

We always allow extra time!

Nenen

I know that it has to be done, as some people are such fanatics they would be prepared to use their children to plant a bomb etc, but it didn't make it any easier to watch a very distressed toddler who looked about two years old (and her equally distressed mother) being frisked at an airport last year. She was in her buggy and security insisted that she was taken out, her bottle (she was drinking milk from it at the time) was taken away from her and then she was made to go with the guard to stand several metres away from her mother to be frisked. The little girl was screaming in terror as she was being led away from her poor mother who had no option but to stand and watch, trying hard to pacify her from a distance. The guard then made the mother drink some of the milk in the child's bottle and then the child had to be held back while they frisked the mother. I felt so sorry for them at the same time as being relieved that safety for all was considered paramount!

duchy

My six foot two sixteen year old has Aspergers-I simply make very sure he's right with me (no reason for a child traveling with a parent to be anywhere else anyway going through security) as his reaction to gettin g stopped might be considered unusual by anyone not knowing he has a disability so I make sure I'm right there in case explanation or supervision is required. I don't think it matters what the answer to the question is-the point of the questions is simply to engage the passengers in conversation and gauge their reaction NOT what they say.

Nenen

rbulph wrote: »

I don't understand what the above question (that we all get asked when checking in for a flight) is about.

Suppose your flight home is in the evening. You have to check out of your hotel by midday, so you leave your luggage in the hotel's storage room while you go out for lunch before the transfer to the airport. In this case you have to answer "yes" to the question at check-in, because someone could have interfered with your luggage while it was in the storage room. What happens then? Does the check-in person say "Oh, how interesting!" and check your luggage in regardless? Or do you have to repack your luggage in front of them to check there's nothing dangerous in it? If this is the case, how come I have never seen anyone do this?

I just don't get it. Can someone please explain?

I took this up with Thomson after our holiday with them last year as the room they provided to leave luggage in at the hotel (between check-out and transfer) was not even secure from any passers-by walking into the hotel!
Luggage was left in an open room, off the very large reception area, out of sight of the main desk, where anyone could go and help themselves (or put something into a case) at any time without providing any ID. At the airport it was Thomson's own rep who then asked the 'could anyone have interfered with your luggage?' question! :wall:

I have a vague memory watching one of those 'Airport' programmes on TV of seeing some joker replying something along the lines of 'yes, I think my gun-running mate might have touched it' and then being pinned to the ground after check-in staff alerted security! I think it would be highly inadvisable to admit there is any possibility your bag might have been tampered with as they could presumably stop you boarding!

IMHO the question is a farce as everyone just says 'no' whether or not it is true and any terroist or smuggler is hardly going to say 'yes'! I think the idea that by saying 'no' you immediately assume all responsibility for anything found is rather a weak arguement... a serious terroist could easily break into your house prior to the holiday and 'doctor' your suitcase without you realising, but it is the only explanation that makes any sense.